Collectables Jazz Classics (series)

Folksy Nina / Nina Simone With Strings

by Nina Simone

Description by OLDIES.com:

No matter what genre Nina chooses, she invests every single piece of material with her own fiercely unique style. On "Folksy Nina," she runs the gamut from English folk tunes to Israeli songs and up-tempo blues. "Nina with Strings" is oddly titled as there isn't an abundance of strings present -- just Simone performing a variety of songs with her legendary style and intensity.

Product Description:

2 LPs on 1 CD: FOLKSY NINA (1964)/WITH STRINGS (1966).

Includes liner notes by David Nathan.

A reissue of two recordings that Colpix released soon after Nina Simone left the label to record for Philips. The first nine tracks comprise FOLKSY NINA, and were recorded live with her quartet at Carnegie Hall in 1963. Songs from this acclaimed performance had already been released as NINA SIMONE AT CARNEGIE HALL, but when Simone left the label in 1963, Colpix found that they had enough material from that concert to put out another record.

These cuts feature treatments of folk songs, showcasing her eclectic taste in material; a highlight of this collection is her version of "When I Was A Young Girl," an emotional tour-de-force. The last 10 tracks comprise NINA WITH STRINGS, an album that Colpix had in the can and first released in 1966, after adding a string section to some of the songs. Highlights include bittersweet versions of the Dietrich classic "Falling In Love Again," and the Rogers and Hart standard "Spring Is Here," as well as "Blackbird," a gorgeous original with an African rhythm.